James 2:19 — Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble.

I hear people say, I believe in God, but I am not a Christian. I have even heard Christians say, I have always believed in God. As our text tells us it is not enough to simply believe that there is a God, but we must believe on Him.

To believe on God is to believe in His Son, Jesus, who said in John 10:30 — I and my Father are one. So when the Philippian jailer asked in Acts 16:30, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Paul and Silas answered him in verse 31,

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. It is not enough to believe with your head but you must believe from your heart.

Romans 10:10 says, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. To believe on the Lord is to accept his son as your personal Savior. Allow him to be the Lord of your life.

You can continue to believe in God and his son and die lost but if you believe on him, you will have eternal life.

What are the benefits of believing on God?

The void in your life will be filled. Genesis 1:27 says, So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

So the only one who can fill the void in your life is God. He does this by giving us his Spirit, Romans 8:11 tells us, But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by the Spirit that dwelleth in you.

You will never be friendless. Proverbs 18:24 says… there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Someone gave this definition of a friend, “A friend is the one who walks in when everyone else has walked out.”

The Hebrew writer said in Hebrews 13:5 … For he (Jesus) hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I have heard Christian widows say, “I live by myself, but I don’t live alone because the Lord is with me.”

You will have joy that you never thought was possible. 1 Peter 1:8 says, Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

The world confuses joy with happiness. Happiness depends on happenings but joy is that which is on the inside. It remains regardless of what is happening around us.

I recently visited a Christian lady who is not able to go to church because of her many health problems. While I talked with her she related to me about what has been going on in her life, doctor visits, hospital stays, etc.

Then she shouted and said, “The Lord has been so good to me!” That my friend is more than happiness, that is joy.

You will not have to face God in judgment alone. Hebrews 9:27 tell us, and it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

Every one of us are going to die and face God. The good news is that we who are saved and have one who will stand with us — Jesus. 1 John 2:1 says, My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not.

And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

The word “advocate” literally means one summoned alongside. This word is is only used by John in the New Testament and is translated “Comforter” in John 14:16.

I trust today that you will not only believe that there is a God but will believe on him and be saved and then call someone and tell them you have just been saved.

Jeff Cremeans is pastor of Ironton City Mission Church.